Orthotopic liver transplantation and the cytosolic estrogen-androgen receptor status of the liver: the influence of the sex of the donor

Abstract

Mammalian liver is known to contain cytosolic receptors for both estrogens and androgens. Furthermore, certain mammalian hepatic functions are known to display a sexual dimorphism. However, in clinical liver transplantation, the sex of the donor is not taken into consideration in selection of the donor. In this study, the effect of liver transplantation on the estrogen and androgen receptor content of the liver was determined. Adult male and female rats were subjected to orthotopic liver transplantation, using donors from both the same and the opposite sex as the recipient. The animals were killed on the tenth postoperative day, and the livers were assayed to determine their cytosolic estrogen and androgen receptor content. Transplantation of a liver from a male donor into a male recipient, from a male donor into female recipient and from a female donor into a male recipient produced similar changes in the number of cytosolic estrogen and androgen receptors in hepatic cytosol. In all three situations, the estrogen receptor content in the cytosol of the transplanted liver was the same as that found in an unoperated male liver, and the cytosolic content of the androgen receptor was the same as that of an unoperated female liver. After transplantation of the liver from a female donor into a female recipient, the estrogen and androgen receptor content in the cytosol of the transplanted liver was the same as that of an unoperated female.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fig. 1

(a) Estrogen receptor content (fmoles per mg protein) in the cytosol of livers transplanted from a male donor to a male recipient (n = 4 to 6 animals per group per time point). (b) Androgen receptor content (fmoles per mg protein) in the cytosol of livers transplanted from a male donor to a male recipient (n = 4 to 6 animals per group per time point).

Fig. 2

(a) Estrogen and androgen receptor content (fmoles per mg protein) in the cytosol of the unoperated male liver and at 10 days after transplantation of livers from male donors into male recipients (n = 5 animals per group). (b) Ratio of the estrogen to androgen receptor content in the cytosol of unoperated male and female livers and livers transplanted from male donors to male recipients (n = 5 animals per group).

Fig. 3

(a) Estrogen and androgen receptor content (fmoles per mg protein) in the cytosol of the unoperated male and female liver and at 10 days after transplantation of livers from female donors into male recipients (n = 5 animals per group). (b) Ratio of the estrogen to androgen receptor content in the cytosol of unoperated male and female livers and livers transplanted from female donors to male recipients (n = 5 animals per group).

Fig. 4

(a) Estrogen and androgen receptor content (fmoles per mg protein) in the cytosol of the unoperated male and female liver and at 10 days after transplantation of livers from male donors into female recipients (n = 5 animals per group). (b) Ratio of the estrogen to androgen receptor content in the cytosol of unoperated male and female livers and livers transplanted from male donors to female recipients (n = 5 animals per group).

Fig. 5

(a) Estrogen and androgen receptor content (fmoles per mg protein) in the cytosol of the unoperated female liver and at 10 days after transplantation of livers from female donors into female recipients (n = 5 animals per group). (b) Ratio of the estrogen to androgen receptor content in the cytosol of unoperated male and female livers and livers transplanted from female donors to female recipients (n = 5 animals per group).